Lawless by Helenkay Dimon Page A

decided to do that when she saw his head again. He held binoculars and swept his gaze over the forest. The door inched open and he was off again, this time running toward her.
    He slid in beside her, kicking up twigs and leaves around her. He held up a vest. “Put this on.”
    “You need it.”
    “I think the person is gone, but I don’t want to risk you getting shot.”
    When he continued to hold the vest, she took it and slid it on. The way he stared at her with that I-can-wait-all-day expression had her adjusting the straps and securing it tighter to her body. “Happy?”
    “Not really.”
    That made two of them. She looked at the binoculars. They weren’t the standard bird watching kind.
    “Do they do something special?” She half hoped they functioned as a grenade launcher. She’d be satisfied with any weapon that could protect them all and get them out of there fast.
    “Increased magnification and brightness. Plus the universal mil reticle.” He spit all that out without lowering the glasses.
    “Um, okay.”
    “The last is a special feature snipers use.” This time he looked at her. “It allows for better targeting and range estimates.”
    The techno-jargon filled her with a strange sense of relief. It was as if they had walked right into his wheelhouse. She was fine to stay there with him.
    Despite all their personal troubles, she never doubted his competency on the job. He was the man any sane person would want on her team when things fell apart. Now qualified.
    Still, the sniper talk had her attention. “I don’t know most of the words you just used.”
    “It means—”
    She put a hand on his arm. “Don’t explain. I’m just happy you know what you’re talking about.”
    He nodded. “We need to get back.”
    The comment started a new round of thundering in her chest. “How do we know it’s safe?”
    “I’ll feel better when we’re in the cabins.”
    She’d feel better in her town house. “Any chance your team is on the way?”
    “I called them. Yes.”
    “That’s good news.” But she noticed he wasn’t smiling and didn’t look one ounce more relieved than he was before he crawled into the helicopter for reinforcements. “Right?”
    “I’ll explain later.”
    Something inside her shriveled. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Chapter Five
    Tony Prather had no idea who or what Connor Bowen was, but the man was on his way up to the executive floor of Baxter Industries. Tony glanced out of his conference room window to the Washington, D.C., skyline in the distance. His Rosslyn office had a view across the Potomac River to Georgetown.
    He’d worked hard for his position with the big office, complete with private executive bathroom and two administrative assistants. He wasn’t accustomed to jumping when others issued orders. If anyone other than Rafe Algier had phoned in from a trip abroad and asked, Tony would have had someone on his staff offer an excuse and insist he couldn’t be disturbed.
    But Algier Security had sent work Baxter’s way, and back when business was floundering Rafe had provided some much-needed contracts and personnel to help keep Baxter’s doors open. Tony had a strong loyalty to the man. It was why he had agreed to hire his daughter for the executive retreat.
    Well, part of the reason. Tony didn’t get where he was by being soft. His obligation didn’t pass from Rafe to his daughter.
    Tony had taken over the reins of Baxter after a coup by the old board of directors. When the bottom fell out of the financial markets and business dried up, the old president and chief executive officer lost the confidence of everyone from shareholders to the management staff. Tony stepped in and got the place running again. He expanded the company’s services.
    They no longer just provided tech and personnel to government agencies. Now his people staffed Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses. Anyone who didn’t want to pay employee benefits and could afford